Pennsylvania senator wants failing students out of cyber charter schools

STEVE ESACK/THE MORNING CALL

State Sen. David Argall, R-Schuykill

State Sen. David Argall, R-Schuykill (STEVE ESACK/THE MORNING CALL)

Logan HullingerCall Harrisburg Bureau

State Sen. David Argall is the latest Pennsylvania lawmaker to propose a crack down on cyber charter's academi

Cyber charter schools are meant to be an accessible alternative to traditional schooling, but one state senator wants to make them a privilege that can be revoked at any time.

The bill, proposed by Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, would require students who are consistently underperforming in a cyber charter school to return to a brick-and-mortar school, according to a May 31 memorandum.

The bill is in its very early stages and is far from making it to a vote, according to Argall.

"The idea came up in town hall meetings in Berks County," he said. "We did a little research, and realized there aren't currently any rules on struggling students. So how do we define failure?"

A task force would be created to do just that, according to the memorandum. It would be responsible for developing and issuing minimum achievement requirements for the state's 35,477 cyber charter school students.

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There were about 1.77 million students enrolled in all types of public schools in the 2015-16 school year, the last full year of records at the state Department of Education. That total includes 132,860 charter school students, 26 percent of whom attend cyber charters.

The state already tracks the performance of cyber charters as part of the annual School Performance Profile report it issues on all public schools. A school's overall score is based in part on student test scores.

In 2015-16, the latest year available, cyber charter students in the majority of the 14 cyber charters fared worse on state math and reading tests than the statewide average of all public school students.

Cyber charters also have a significantly lower graduation rate than the statewide average, according to the state Department of Education. Cyber charters had a cumulative graduation rate average of 47.7 percent in 2015-16. The statewide average is 86.1 percent.

Argall's plan would create a system focused on the individual student.

Using the minimum requirements set by the task force, cyber schools would be required to conduct an annual assessment of a student's achievement. A student who fails to meet the benchmarks would be required to withdraw at the end of semester during which the assessment takes place. The student would be banned from enrolling in a cyber charter for at least a year until he or she meets the minimum requirement.

Cyber school administrators are concerned by Argall's plan.

Brian Hayden, CEO of Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, the state's largest cyber charter school with about 9,170 students, said he finds the proposal concerning.

"For many parents, having a school choice is very important," she said. "We have grave concerns about this legislation. He's supporting charter schools in the past, so I don't know why he's forgetting cyber charter schools now."

Meyers attributed the poor academic performance in cyber schools to struggles students had in their prior brick-and-mortar schools.

"Many cyber school attendees have been failing coming into our schools," Meyers said. "They come in a year or two behind. Kids have been allowed to fail at public schools, so why not charter schools?"

Argall agreed that for "some children," arrival with an already poor academic standing could contribute to the poor performance, but he said he doubts this is true for the majority of students.

The idea of forcing a student to transfer over grades is "unfair," according to Scott Garrigan, a Lehigh University education professor who specializes in teaching and learning through technology.

"A failing student should be entitled to a review of their situation," Garrigan said. "Students' difficulties are difficult to lump together; it could be a variety of things. So a review of what's going on should happen before any actions to transfer the student take place."

A 2015 study published by Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes found students who spend two consecutive years in a cyber charter school perform significantly worse academically than those who leave the cyber charter for a traditional public school after their first year.

The study, which covered all 17 states where cyber charters are offered as well as the Distinct of Columbia, also found students tend to opt out early as well.

After their first year, an average of 40 percent of students transfer. Only 32 percent of students remain in the school for a third year and 19 percent remain for a fourth year, the study reported.

Keeping an eye out on the conduct of cyber charter schools is nothing new in the Capitol.

Gov. Tom Wolf prompted increased oversight of charter schools last year, when he created the Department of Education Division of Charter Schools to improve the quality and accountability of those institutions.

On Wednesday, Rep. Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery, and Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, pitched legislation at a news conference to put a cap on funding to independent cyber charter schools if they are located in a school district that already offers its own cyber program.

In May, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee released a report that found superintendents with large online or brick-and-mortar charter school enrollment report "some positive, but mostly negative" financial impacts.

While the benefits include prevention of overcrowding and innovative programs, the list of negatives are deemed more prominent by the report. The report includes the shifting of educational costs to the public sector as private school students move to charter schools.

In April, the House Education Committee approved a bill supporters say would would reduce the money school districts send to cyber charter schools.

The bill would eliminate from the calculation subsidies the district pays to provide adult education, community college programs, tax assessment and collection, amid other new exclusions. Those exclusions would save the state's 500 school districts $27 million, according to the bill, which has not gotten a full House vote.

Joseph Roy, superintendent of Bethlehem Area School District, questions the need for cyber charter schools.

"Cyber charters are a significant waste of money," Roy said. "I'd even be in support of a bill to eliminate the schools entirely."

Many school districts already have their own cyber program, according to Roy, and it's much cheaper than those offered by outside institutions.

"While it only costs the district $5,000 to send a child to one of our cyber programs, it costs them $10,000 for outside programs," Roy said.

Logan Hullinger is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents Association.